I Know
by unbrokensaviorwithperfecthair
Summary: "Emma kisses his neck and mumbles, 'I could beat the shit out of you.' 'I know' he replies. He keeps a straight face for all of five seconds before bursting into laughter which she, apparently, does not appreciate." After saving Killian from the Underworld, all drunk Emma wants to do is cuddle with her pirate. Spoilers for the midseason finale and 5B speculation.


A/N: I saw this post on tumblr and couldn't resist (plus we all need some fluff right now):

" _One time when I was a little drunk and laying in bed with a guy, I kissed his neck and mumbled "I could beat the shit out of you" in his ear._

 _He said "I know."_

This takes place after the midseason finale, so spoiler alert if you haven't seen it. By this point, Emma & Co. have safely brought Killian back from the Underworld. Snowing is pregnant again, based on my assumption that since Ginny and Josh are having another baby, the writers are going to write it in as another Snowing baby.

* * *

One of the many things Killian Jones loves about Emma Swan is her badassery. Henry had introduced him to the term, and Killian has taken a liking to it.

He also loves that she can be the sweetest thing when she's a little drunk ‒but she saves that side of her drunkenness just for him. She rarely lets herself get beyond buzzed, but sometimes when they're all at Granny's for a night out, she indulges herself. Her usual excellence at darts deteriorates to the point where he'd once had to guide her away from the hallway for fear of her hitting someone. She gets moodier. She slouches more. The first time, he'd thought she was a brooding drunk who was content to sip and glare at every passerby.

He'd been in for a surprise the second he took her outside of Granny's in an attempt to get her back to their house in one piece. She'd started giggling the second the door closed, and looked up at him with wide eyes.

"What is it, Swan?" He'd asked gently, grabbing hold of her waist as she'd staggered to the left.

"Your eyes are just _so blue_ ," she'd said, craning her neck to stare into them. "Are you sure you don't have the ocean in them?"

She had made a move to poke on finger into his eye, but in her inebriated state, her finger had ended up on his nose.

"Quite sure, love," he'd responded patiently. She'd pouted and kept quiet for all of five seconds before continuing to ask him every imaginable question about the sea.

* * *

She's that way again tonight, he realizes, as she downs her fourth shot and seems hellbent on not stopping until she's out drunk him and all the dwarves combined.

Not that Killian blames her. Today has been a trying day, to say the least, and as Killian takes a swig of his own rum, he knows he should get her back home soon.

"What do you think about heading home?" He asks, sliding onto the stool next to her.

"How'd you find me?" She says, not bothering to look at him.

"I found you in New York," he chuckles, putting his hand on top of hers. "I think I can find you in Storybrooke." She mulls this over for a moment and seems to silently accept his answer. "Granny called me. She said you seemed troubled."

"You mean she said I'm getting drunk and she doesn't want my own father to have to come arrest me," the blonde says bitterly. She sees his flask and grabs it from his hand and downs a generous gulp.

"I suppose that could be a part of it, yes. But that doesn't mean she's not concerned about you, as am I."

"My mom's pregnant again," Emma says, staring into her shot glass. Killian simply sits quietly, knowing she'll start talking to fill the silence. "I'm happy for them. But how many times do I have to watch someone grow up with what was taken from me?"

"Aye, love," he rubs circles on the back of her hand, hoping to calm her down. "When I saw my father with Liam… the younger Liam… I know what you're feeling. It isn't fair. But drinking yourself into oblivion might make you feel better now, but come tomorrow, you'll regret it."

"Don't care," she motions to Granny for another round, one for her an one for Killian, but Killian holds his hand up.

"We'll be leaving, no need to get another," he says, smiling his thanks at the older woman.

"Fine," the blonde huffs, smacking enough money onto the counter to cover her tab plus a generous tip. She lets Killian take her hand and lead her out of the diner, where she immediately feels her mood change.

"Feeling better, love?" he asks with a smug smile.

"It's like magic," she says, "when I'm drunk alone with you, I don't feel angry. I just feel giddy."

"I tend to have that effect on women," he says, earning himself an ill-placed smack to the shoulder.

"Shut up."

"It's because you trust me, Emma," he says. "Because you love me, enough to bring me back from the Underworld. And I love the way you are with me, the special smile you save just for me, the special laugh… all of it."

She's crying now, and he kicks himself for forgetting drunk Emma is only so giddy with him because her walls are completely down, and his loving words have full effect on her with nothing to shield her. He guides her into the passenger seat of the bug without much of a protest before sliding into the driver's side. He expertly starts the car and reverses out of her bad parking job.

"Wait, when'd you learn to drive?" She says, confusion written all over her face.

"Dave taught me a while back," Killian replies. Emma snorts, then says,

"Does he know you call him that?"

"He won't know if I never say it to his face." This causes Emma to laugh, and she doubles over as much as she can with the seatbelt. She spends the rest of the drive back staring at him with shining jade eyes, and he tries not to squirm under her piercing gaze.

"Hey," she says when they pull into the driveway. "You were drinking, too. As the sheriff, it's my‒"

He cuts her off with a kiss, and she hums, happily opening her mouth to let him in.

"I've had far less than you, love. My judgement and dexterity is not at all compromised. I assure you, Sheriff Swan, I am under the legal limit."

" _Killian_ ," she all but whines, "you know what it does to me when you call me that. It's not fair," she pouts, and pirate is once again wondering how he'd been so lucky that of all the people in the world, she'd fallen in love with him.

"Let's get you inside," he says, carefully untangling their limbs to her very obvious annoyance. She waits for him to open the car door for her, and he smiles as he helps her stand up. "This is why when we want to drown our sorrows, we do so at home."

"I'm cooperating," she says.

"You are," he can't help but smile again as she fumbles with the zippers on her boots. By the time he's done getting them off for her, she already has her shirt off and he sighs, forcing himself to keep his eyes firmly trained on her eyes. "You're drunk, Emma. Once you sober up we can talk."

"Oh, we're gonna talk," she grabs his wrist and all but drags him up the stairs. "I want to cuddle."

Well, that's new. Normally she wants to do more adult activities, which he always puts a stop to because he _is_ a gentleman, after all.

"As you wish," he says as he changes into his pajamas. He's about to help her get into her own, but she's already in one of his t-shirts. They climb into bed and she automatically cuddles into him, her head on his shoulder and his chin resting on her golden locks. They stay like that for what seems like hours, and Killian's content to just feel the rise and fall of her chest against his body because it means she's alive, and that's all that matters to him.

Emma kisses his neck and mumbles, "I could beat the shit out of you."

"I know," he replies. He keeps a straight face for all of five seconds before bursting into laughter which she, apparently, does not appreciate.

"I could," she props herself up on an elbow, her blonde waves tumbling down her shoulders and tickling his face.

"I know," Killian repeats, because _of course_ drunk Emma is still thinking about all the ways she could tie him up. "And what did I do to deserve you beating the shit out of me?"

"Nothing," she says happily, resuming her previous position tucked against him. "I was just making sure you know."

"I know, love," he assures her for the third time.

"Good," she snuggles against him, wiggling to get as close as possible.

"Go to sleep, it's late," he says, wrapping an arm around her.

"M'kay," she agrees. Minutes later, she's asleep and Killian is wide awake, musing over the woman in his arms.


End file.
